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Bilal Zuberi
There are two interesting and relatively new/emerging revenue models in hardware space. (1) Software Enabled Hardware Hardware is sold at lower but slowly improving gross margins (eg 20-40%), and software recurring revenues layered on top. Software sells at higher margins, enabling blended margins to appear in 50%+ category. These are applied in situations where hardware is not expected to be replaced or greatly improved upon in deployment for a significant number of years to come. Consider your car, or military equipment, or even infrastructure equipment. As always, there are often multiple business/revenue models utilized by different players in the same industry. (2) Hardware As A Service Hardware and software are bundled and sold with annually recurring revenues. Often multi-year contracts are signed to be able to amortize hardware over time, and enable blended gross margins over the length of the contract to be high (approaching 60-75%). This is more common in situations where vendor takes responsibility to upgrade hardware as needed along the way to provide maximum and highest functionality to the customer. Hardware inventory costs are, over time, passed on to suppliers or third party financing parties in lieu of few gross margin points. Consider robots as a service in factories (ala Formic), or AI-enabled equipment (eg Evolv, Lumafield etc). Hardware innovation will require deeper investigation, experimentation, and understanding of business/revenue models to fit customer needs as well as to maximize value for the innovating company. Strong and experienced management teams work hard to minimize sales friction, inventory costs etc, but also maximize gross margins, customer stickiness, and ability to upsell during the life of a contract.
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37 Comments -
Marvin Liao
"If we’re measuring velocity in days or weeks, it might seem obvious to directly tie a startup’s velocity to the number of hours you work each day. But startup velocity is far more than just hours worked (a nuance that many adherents to startup “hustle” culture get wrong). Velocity is not only about how hard you work, it’s about how you work. At a fundamental level, startup velocity is a measure of a company’s sense of urgency." https://lnkd.in/gV9Z_ift
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4 Comments -
Mika Romanoff
Let's finally get rid off the "VC alphabet song" and redo the system to become more founder friendly. "The benchmarks set by funding stages are often arbitrary and not necessarily aligned with the actual development needs of individual startups." #vc #venturecapital #founder #fundraising #startups #fundingstages #funding #fundingrounds #pitchbook
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Shubhankar Bhattacharya
In our latest episode on the Practical Nerds podcast, Patric and I talk about our earned learnings on how founders (and other VCs) should choose the right (Co)Investors for their startup (Construction-tech or otherwise). Which of these do you agree with ? What did we miss ?
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2 Comments -
Neal Ghosh
The existing paradigm in the early stage startup ecosystem is there are only two personas which matter: founder and investor. Investors provide capital and guidance. Founders provide vision, grit, technical ability, and savvy management skills to convert capital into disruptive impact and then returns. Other participants -- employees, service providers, consultants, advisors -- rarely if ever are put on a similar tier. They're met with indifference, even skepticism, and are thought as tactical (means to an end) rather than strategic. What's lost in this paradigm is that some of these partcipants -- venture builders in particular -- are delivering a high-value add, both in terms of generating a higher IRR but also speeding up the time to liquidity. At 9point8 Collective we have lots of conversations every day about venture building. Some people are completely unaware of the concept, many are resistant to the premise and need some convincing. Either way, it's our job to educate and advocate. How do we do it? Data helps. Reports like the one here are invaluable, as are our own case studies and testimonials. As evidence mounts in favor of studios, so does the interested audience. Narrative helps too -- walking people through the studio concept, mechanics, and operating model. Breaking things down into why and how they work, not just the data deems it to be so. Finally, the passion and the people make a difference. There's a growing community of venture builders who support each other, share best practices, and willingly collaborate. That develops critical mass which in turn attracts more and more participants into the fold.
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Kevin Wojton
Are you looking to break into VC / PE / being a CEO? Are you frustrated at job applying process? Do you want to surround yourself with the best and brightest and build a network that includes investors, 10x founders, and other hellbent on changing the world? Do you run a start up that needs some hypergrowth? The job market has changed, applying for jobs is dead, its all about creating jobs via entrepreneurship or possessing executive skills to create a job at a company. Come join us at IOTA Labs MBA bootcamp; a donation based month long part time, program that puts infront of VC/PE deal flow with the intention that if you can follow the program, you will be contributing to large deals and getting paid for the work. The point of this program is to rapidly convert highly motivated individuals to high performing executives by surrounding them with the training, network, and skills they need to be successful @ IOTA or beyond. With training from tenured product manager @ Google, VC Fund managers, investors, 10x founders, CxOs (15+ at GM, Salesforce, Accenture), legal experts, and other subject matter experts https://lnkd.in/eSgHkB9u Seats will fill up fast just as an FYI , do please repost this so we can help as many people as possible.
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Garnet S. Heraman
Have you heard of #CapVC? It’s an application platform designed specifically for the use of #VC firms. Essentially, it’s a robust #AI-powered tool made to simplify the daily operations of managing a #fund. Isn’t that something, a VC funded start-up designed to help improve the productivity of VC funding! According to this article from TechCrunch, Cap VC is looking to become much more than just an ‘operating system’ — the company aims to be a simplified and extremely efficient way to run a VC firm: reducing digital clutter by turning PDF files, income statements and balance sheets into readable data, automating company suggestions based on the context of a VC’s portfolio, and more. Cap VC is currently developing native apps on Mac and Windows, alongside releasing an API so that developers can build on top of their foundations. So, are any of my fellow VCs interested in using this software? If not Cap VC, is there any interest for similar software to be created down the line? Are there downsides to using a third-party application like this? I want to know what you all think.
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Lane Litz
Hi, my name is Lane, Founder & Managing Partner of Founder VC. Over the past two years, I've been on a mission to prove that it is possible to add measurable value to startups. -I've meticulously logged over 600 meetings with early-stage startup founders, resulting in New Zealand's largest database of what works (and what doesn't). -I've worked with six scale-stage startup founders on investment readiness, capital strategy, and sales and marketing automation, all of which strongly correlate to a higher likelihood of securing growth funding. -I've provided long-term consulting and executive recruitment services for Round B+ VC-funded global edtechs, driving sustained growth with a list of the best global edtech talent. All to answer a single, burning question: Is it possible to add measurable value to startups of all stages? They told me it was impossible to add value beyond capital, that the only value you can add is money. What they failed to understand is that the best way to get something done is to tell a startup founder that it can't be. The harsh reality is that securing the necessary capital for startup growth is a daunting challenge. Did you know that only 1% of global startup founders raise venture capital, and 90% of those fail to raise a second round? That it takes the average startup founder 5-7 years longer to find product-market fit than anticipated? This is where Founder VC steps in. At Founder VC, we help startup founders make and raise money. 🚀 🌟 Startup. Scale Up. Stay Up. 🌟 Founder VC offers personalized, satisfaction-guaranteed programs from the world’s top talent, designed to mitigate the deadliest risks at each stage of a startup's lifecycle. 📈 Founder-Defined Success We tailor success metrics to each founder's vision, ensuring your journey aligns with your unique goals. 🔍 Transparent Pathways Our structured, visualized capital pathways reduce risk by embedding support structures at key milestones. ✅ Guaranteed Results We deliver tangible results with our satisfaction-guaranteed programs, offering guidance on capital pathways, product marketing, product-market fit, sales, and fundraising. 🏆 Masterclass Talent Gain on-demand access to proven startup founders and operators for top-tier advice and support. 💡 Solutions for Every Stage 💡 Startup Solutions: Micro-courses providing practical, guaranteed guidance on capital pathways, product marketing, and more. Scale Up Solutions: Year-long accelerator programs to automate sales, supercharge revenue, uplift valuation, and secure growth funding. Stay Up Solutions: Executive coaching from the world’s leading startup advisors to drive sustained growth. Founder VC's mission is to offer funding solutions that significantly increase the survival and success rates of startup founders. It is my personal honour to dedicate the next decade of my life to this mission. 10 years is a long time, and I'm just getting started. 🔥 🪩 foundervc.org 📧 hello@foundervc.org
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5 Comments -
Dave Hersh
What sets off alarm bells in my head? 🫨 Hearing early-stage founders make statements like, “We have a consumer product and a business product.” 🚨 Or “We are expanding to four new vertical markets this year.” 🚨 Or “We’re going to light up our reseller channel now.” I see a lot of startups on the other side of getting stuck and I can tell you lack of focus is a huge problem. I get it: Staying true to your core—the one thing you do well—is tricky when you feel the pressure to grow from investors or people you hired to grow the business. What’s key is being in deep alignment with your board and team around the reality of the learning process and what really matters. Stay lean and disciplined until you have proven your “one thing” beyond a doubt. Then you can raise money and grow faster when it’s irresponsible not to. #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Reignition #Focus #Metrics
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10 Comments -
JT Benton
Once you’re in it, you’re in it. #Startup #founders don’t just take financial risk - they invest years of their lives. For many, it’s absolutely worth it. To me, the first task is the most important one: to define your target and make absolutely sure it’s one worth that level of investment.
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2 Comments -
Chang (CK) Kim
Imagine you’re meeting a VC today and pitching your company. Now, also imagine the VC goes home tonight and tells his or her spouse about the meeting with you. How do you think the VC would (or should) describe your product to the spouse? Remember, this is for someone who doesn’t have any context, and probably doesn’t have time to listen the whole story. If you can think of a story version that's plain and simple -- how you want the VC to describe your product to the spouse -- perhaps that version should be your pitch in the first place?
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10 Comments -
Matan Hazanov
Should you ask a VC to sign your NDA before sharing information about your startup? Check out my latest Youtube video to hear my perspective on this divisive topic. I cover: - the reasons a VC will not sign your NDA - why its a bad tactic to ask - when its appropriate to ask Many startups thrive on outcompeting their peers through innovation. Its understandable that many startup founders will want to jealously guard information about their innovation, product, and business. But its not a good strategy to ask for an NDA because it creates unnecessary barriers and has very little utility in the early stage of the fundraising process and very hard to enforce. Also, there are ways to mitigate the risks of sharing sensitive info. I am not a lawyer, and nothing I say in this video should be construed as legal advice. This is my personal opinion from ~10 years of experience as a VC investor. #venturecapital #startups #investing #NDAs https://lnkd.in/dxyRyrbG
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4 Comments -
Jeffrey Paine
Key takeaways from VC Goat - Vinod Khosla podcast. - The firm cares more about working on interesting problems with large technical solutions rather than just maximizing IRR. The team is there because they believe in the mission. - Khosla assumes they've lost the money the day they invest, and then maximizes for the upside opportunity. He calls it "option value investing" rather than IRR investing. - Khosla has contrarian bets in AI (neuro-symbolic computing, probabilistic approaches), biotech, robotics, crypto, and more. - He believes aviation fuels, fusion energy, new transit systems, and other contrarian areas ignored by most investors will be huge opportunities. - Most large innovations come from outsiders, not industry insiders. Khosla looks for founders who can learn a business rapidly rather than have deep domain expertise. The Future Impact of AI - AI will be deflationary and increase productivity growth to 4% annually vs the typical 2% forecast. This will cause great abundance but also increasing income inequality. - Bipedal robots will take over most manufacturing and manual labor jobs within 20-25 years. This will free humans to be more creative and pursue their passions. - Education will shift from job training to creativity. Uniquely human elements like taste and curation will be most valued in an AI-enabled world. https://lnkd.in/gqBsmbks
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5 Comments -
Garnet S. Heraman
Excellent overview from Alessandro Marianantoni at M ACCELERATOR in #losangeles on an under appreciated tactic in #startup formation- experimentation. One additional viability item to consider would be #talent and #humancapital required to build & distribute the offering- especially if you’re not a technical founder. #sellthenbuild
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2 Comments -
Brian Chapman
No, GenAI is not simply SaaS 2.0🚫🚫🚫 In the last decade, we’ve seen a massive surge in SaaS offerings, thanks to billions in venture capital. Companies like Slack, HubSpot, and Notion have transformed how we work. But we’re convinced AI is not just SaaS 2.0. 💡 SaaS: Enhancing, Not Delivering Outcomes SaaS tools make work easier, helping teams stay organized and accountable. They charge pennies on the dollar compared to the value they can create or even the payroll costs of the teams using them. 🎯 Enter Intelligence-as-a-Service We’re seeing a move towards AI solutions that deliver productivity outcomes akin to professional services. This “Intelligence-as-a-Service” shift could reshape how we view productivity, combining AI with human-like expertise to create significant value. 🔍 The Self-Service Paradox OpenAI’s ChatGPT shows potential but highlights the challenges of a self-service model. True AI solutions need substantial rules, data and custom development to deliver reliable, domain-specific expertise. 💼 Higher Margins Through a Human Experience Just as Starbucks transformed a commodity into a premium experience, AI-enabled tech must shift from low seat-based pricing to delivering and charging for human-level value creation. We see some starting points for teams who want to move from SaaS to Intelligence-as-a-service models. Integrate Human Services: Embrace professional services to help clients see that you aren’t just offering a widget with vanishing COGS. They need to think about your value as being human-like to realize AI’s full potential. Build Executive Relationships: Influence leaders to drive organizational transformation with AI. AI adoption in large organizations will be disruptive. You’ll need to be seen as a partner in unlocking generational value to benefit from it over the medium term. Prioritize Outcome Data: Focus on capturing and utilizing data that drives business results. Over time, SaaS and professional services will be driven together and tasked with driving productivity outcomes. The only way to do that reliably is to secure access to private insights that train models to deliver those outcomes. Read more in our new post, link is in comments below. That’s our vision. What are your thoughts? If you’re building B2B AI agents, we want to talk. Please reach out. #AI #SaaS #VentureCapital #Productivity #Innovation #TechTransformation #IntelligenceAsAService
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3 Comments -
Liz Walsh
Can poop save the planet? 🤔 Well, in Silicon Valley, it's not just a punchline—it's a multimillion-dollar climate solution. Big players are teaming up with startup Vaulted Deep, paying $58.3 million, to pump organic waste underground. The deal was brokered by Frontier Climate, a coalition launched in 2022 by Stripe, Alphabet, Meta, Shopify, and McKinsey Sustainability. But why are tech giants getting their hands dirty with sewage and manure? Vaulted Deep's technology, rooted in decades-old methods used for oil and gas fracking cleanup, gives them an edge. But instead of sludge, they're tackling carbon-rich waste, aiming to sequester CO2 underground. They plan to sequester 152,480 tons of carbon dioxide by 2027 as part of the deal (That equates to 36,000 gas cars off the road for a year). Is this greenwashing, or a silver bullet? Critics warn of cost, the need for rigorous carbon accounting, and potential environmental trade-offs - i.e. emission prevention versus carbon removal. #decarbonization
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